Sorry it took me a while, but its been the week before winter break, and now its here! Yay! Anyways, here's the story.
"Wow, I just can't get over how beautiful it is out here!" exclaimed Aubrey for about the hundreth time. Louis didn't seem to mind, though. He was absolutely thrilled to be out in the country, seeing the beautiful country side, and to be with a beautiful companion. Better yet, he was alone with her. "I'm so glad Mother and Miss Lacey saw fit for me to go, Mother has been a little clingy lately, I don't see why, though."
"Maybe she's noticed you aren't a child anymore." Replied Louis. He certainly had. "But I wonder why she didn't send Pierre, or Leon, if she's so worried."
"Well, maybe she wanted someone with some skills with the sword in case anyone tries to attack." In reality, Louis had only very basic skills, but it never hurt to flatter someone. Especially when you really like that certain someone.
The ride to the next town on Lacey's roster was only a day's ride away, but the two young people weren't eager to return to normal life, and prolonged the three day trip into a four or five day trip, planning on using the weather as an excuse.
"This is a nice little spot, let's have lunch here." suggested Louis, pointing to a pretty place at the bend of a river. Liking the idea of yet another stop, Aubrey nodded her agreement and rode over to the spot. Soon, they were dining on bread, fruit and wine. Of course, they hadn't started the trip out with it, but what their elders didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Unfortunately for them, what they didn't know most definitely could.
Lurking in the trees around them was a rather nasty fellow named Herbert. He had stolen an important document and some jewels from the Baron of Whitbey fief in Araluen. While the careless baron had been napping inside his first floor office, Herbert had slipped in and stolen said document, along with some precious jewels. He didn't escape unnoticed, though, as the current ranger of the fief saw him sneaking out of the window, and would have caught him, if the baron's wife hadn't whacked him over the head with a candle holder, throwing off his aim. She had claimed to have mistaken him for the bandit himself, though how anyone one could have mixed up a ranger with the scruffy, greasy man was beyond him. Now, seeing a chance at a free and easy meal, he was planning his attack.
Stepping out of the trees now, he yelled out, "Awright, get on the ground, the both of ye!" Neither of them understood a word he said, but they did understand the slightly rusted sword in his hand, and froze, terrified. "I said DOWN!" he yelled, gesturing to the ground. Slightly comprehending what the bandit wanted now, they both got on the ground, belly down. Herbert quickly went over to where Louis was laying. In an attempt to impress Aubrey, and get them out of this dangerous situation, Louis tried to pick up his sword, but before he could even raise it, Herbert hit him over the head none too gently, preventing any future resistance. After tightly binding the two young people, he set about devouring all the food. After finishing it all, he was about to untie the two and be on his way, when a thought occurred to him. He hadn't been with a woman in quite a while. And here was a woman, a pretty woman.
Seeing the look in his eye, Aubrey understood the man's intentions, and started to cry out when he lifted her upright. "Non, non, oh s'il vous plaît, non!" Her voice gradually grew in volume and pitch. "Non, NON!" Then, out of nowhere, an arrow appeared in the bandit's thigh, causing him to drop Aubrey and swear very loudly.
"FREEZE! King's Ranger!" Again, the two Gallicans didn't understand a word spoken, but were relieved that there attacker was taken down. Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw a tall man wearing a mottled green and brown cloak, holding a bow. He seemed to appear out of nowhere; he hadn't been standing there a minute ago. He tied up Herbert with a length of rope. He pulled out a knife from a scabbard at his hip, and action that caused Aubrey to panic, until he started talking to her. She didn't know what he was saying, but his words were soothing, and she calmed down. After a few minutes, Louis and Aubrey were rubbing their wrists while the man pulled the arrow from their attackers leg and binding the wound. Satisfied the bandages would hold, he let out a whistle, and a small shaggy horse trotted over to his side.
Turning to face Louis, he said, "Sorry about ignoring you for the last few minutes, are you two alright?"
Not understanding, Louis simply stared at him, confused. Then Aubrey replied, "We not harmed. Thank you."
"Well, that's good news. I've been tracking this man for about a week now, he's been causing quite a bit of trouble over in Aralu-" realizing he wasn't in Araluen anymore, he switched to Gallican. "Désolé, I am from Araluen. Could you tell me the next town?" His Gallican wasn't the best, but it was enough to get his meaning across.
"Yes, it's this way," she replyed, pointing down the road, "we are going there, it's our home. Would you like to come with us?"
"Yes, Thank you. My name is Gilan."
They arrived in town a little after dark. When they got to the inn, Claire rushed over to her daughter, smothering her in a giant bear hug. "Oh, I was so worried! Why didn't you get in yesterday, what happened? I was about to send a search party! Oh, I'm so glad you're home safe and sound!"
"Mother, mother, I'm all right. The weather was bad, so we went a little slower. We're fine." After greeting Louis and giving him the toned down version of Aubrey's treatment, she ushered them over to a table.
"Sit, sit. I have soup cooking, it's almost done. You two must be starving." Then she walked back into the kitchen. A moment later, Lacey walked back out with a pitcher of water and three glasses. It was then that Gilan walked through the door. He walked up to the bar counter, looking for an employee. Seeing Claire was still in the kitchen, Lacey went behind the counter, inquiring in Gallican, "May I help you?"
"Yes. I need a, a, a room." replyed Gilan, struggling with some of the words.
Answering in Araluen after recognising his accent, she said, "We have one available, would you like it?"
"Yes, please, madam. Also, I have a man in the barn with my horse, he's my hostage."
"Okay, but may I ask, why?"
"I'm from Araluen, and the man has stolen some things. I tracked him down and arrested him, but I don't want to camp in a storm, so I came here."
Nodding her head, she yelled out something too fast for him to understand back to the kitchen, and then heard an angry reply from it. Turning toward him, she said, "No one will mess with him. The stable boy knows he's there now and to leave him alone."
"Thank you." Then he ordered some soup and coffee.
"Just out of curiosity," inquired Lacey, "You didn't happen to see those two on the road, did you?"
Looking in the direction she was pointing in, he frowned and said, "I sure did. In fact, the man I arrested had them tied up when I did."
Frowning, she called out "Louis, Aubrey, venez ici!" They came over, confused at first, then Aubrey saw Gilan and knew what Lacey wanted. "What does this man mean when he said you were attacked?"
"We were, but it's not our fault!"
"Oh, and how so? Louis, how did it happen?"
"Oh, well, uh, we were eating lunch, and a man snuck up on us. He-"
"He pulled out a sword, a bid one!" Interupted Aubrey. "So Louis picked up his sword and tried to fight him off. The man was just too strong. He hit poor Louis over the head with his sword!"
"Yes, that's what happened. Then, when the man ws about to, uh, hurt Aubrey, I hit his legs out from under him! Gilan hit him with an arrow, and then set us free."
Sensing that Louis' part of the story was a little more than slighty overblown, but that she had mostly the truth, she let it go. Claire brought out some soup to them, and they all dug in. The two teenagers talking with Claire, and Lacey with Gilan.
They were only a few minutes into the meal when they heard some heavy footsteps coming down a the staircase that led up to the rooms. A big man stumbled out into the dining room, saying "Lacey, my head hurts again." Lacey sprang up and rushed over to help him.
Strangely, so did Gilan.